In a conventional clutch for automotive vehicles or similar applications, a clutch disc having friction faces on the opposite surfaces thereof is engaged by a flywheel driven by the vehicle engine and a pressure plate rotatably connected to and axially movable toward and away from the flywheel; the clutch disc being connected to a transmission input shaft leading to the vehicle transmission. Depending upon the rate of release of the clutch pedal by the vehicle operator, the disengaged clutch plate could be suddenly grabbed by the rotating flywheel and pressure plate resulting in a sudden shock to the clutch plate which does not provide a smooth ride for the vehicle and seriously reduces the effective life of the clutch.
To avoid this grabbing action, a cushioning effect is required to provide a smooth clutch engagement resulting in a steady and progressive action from the initial point of clutch engagement to the point where all slip ceases. Early efforts to provide this cushion effect included a series of springs riveted between the friction facings of the clutch disc to bias the facings axially outwardly. Other versions have included one or more cushioning springs mounted in the fulcrum edge on the pressure plate. However, all of these versions require additional parts and assembly operations. The present invention obviates the problems of the previous cushioning structures and provides a simplified clutch arrangement.